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/ The Sunflower

THURSDAY Sept. 9, 2021 Volume 126 Issue 5

WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896

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SGA’s Diversity Week aims to educate the student body and community

TIE IT & DYE IT

BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

Exchange student Nadia Pfanni dyes her shirt at Tie-Dye Tuesday. The event was held on Sept. 7 in front of the Rhatigan Student Center. For more photos and coverage on this event, turn to page 5.

The Student Government Association and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion — along with other campus organizations — will kick off Diversity Week on Saturday, Sept. 11. The week will feature a series of events focusing on educating the student body and WSU community. “We put a lot of effort, a lot of hours into this, reaching out to these different organizations, different departments,” SGA Vice President Kamilah Gumbs said. Topics will include race, gender, ethnicities, political beliefs, disabilities, among other important topics. There will be panels, crafts and food festivals each day on several of these topics. Diversity Week was started due to the results from a climate survey in 2019. Based off the results from the survey, the Student Government saw that some students did not feel comfortable on campus. Because Wichita State has one of the most diverse campuses in Kansas, SGA wanted to provide students an opportunity to embrace diversity. “[We want to] ensure that … students really have … this big opportunity to get to know a little bit more about the people they go to school with,” Gumbs said. To find out more about diversity week you can go to https://www. wichita.edu/student_life/sga/ SGA_Events/diversityweek.php. There you can find a schedule of the events throughout the week and details on each event.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, Senator Jerry Moran visit campus to discuss new 777 passenger to freight project BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

overnor Laura Kelly and Senator Jerry Moran paid campus a visit Wednesday to speak about the expansion of the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Program (MRO). The press conference was held at WERX on WSU’s NIAR campus and hosted multiple speakers who spoke of their excitement for the expanding Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Program (MRO). The media and students were also taken on a tour of the 777 passenger aircraft, which will be converted by the Kansas Modification Center into a freight plane to meet the growing needs of the e-commerce and express cargo market. Jim Gibbs, president of the Kansas Modification Center, said that they decided to put an MRO station in Kansas at this facility because of the support that they get from the university, local manufacturers, and local city council members. Gibbs said that in the next ten years, he sees thousands of employees working for this facility. “I would like to congratulate all of you here today for the accomplishment of bringing this aircraft here to Wichita,” Gibbs said. “So it is very difficult to convince an operator to bring an asset of this size and this value to a company that has not done a lot of MRO’s.

“Luckily, there is no better state than Kansas to take full advantage of the 777 passenger freedom project.” LAURA KELLY Governor of Kansas

“Over the next 25 months, we will hope to continue to surprise our competition, the OEM, and our customers with the delivery and the performance of the modifications we do on this aircraft.” Governor Laura Kelly said that her administration will be a partner to help complete this project. “Together, we will strengthen our aviation sector for now and for future generations,” Kelly said. “Luckily, there is no better state than Kansas to take full advantage of the 777 passenger freedom project.” Kelly said that education has an important role of being in charge of shaping the future generation of aviation workers. “Here in Kansas, our colleges and universities play a simple role in our state’s continued success,” Kelly said. “They take a dynamic approach to .. creating jobs, nurturing the next generation of thinkers, and responding to their communities needs.” Kelly said that technical education programs at WSU attract young aviation workers. She said

PHOTO BY LENA ALHALLAQ / THE SUNFLOWER

Governor Laura Kelly speaks about the new 777 passenger freight project at a press conference held on campus on Sept. 8.

that she looks forward to future collaborations and announcements like this one. “Today is just the beginning of something big, which will boost our economic development opportunities for our state and community for years to come,” Kelly said. “I’m really excited to see this project move forward and become one of the many reasons Wichita is known as the air capital of the world.” Senator Moran said that the

composition of this community is made up of entrepreneurs, workers, an education system rooted in research, and technical skills. “A country that is in desperate need of people who know how to use their brains and their hands to make something happen .. you get what we have happening here today, what this moment represents, which is just a moment in a long history of a better Wichita and a better Kansas because of this one circumstance that we are

announcing today,” Moran Moran said that other cities in this country would love to be the air capital of the world, and the competition is great. “Wichita is, and will remain, the air capital of the world because of the assets that we just talked about. We are on the path to a better future, a brighter future … We have the best companies, the best employees, the latest technology, the latest developments,” Moran said.

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NEWS

Suicide Prevention Walk aims to open doors to tough conversations BY LINDSAY SMITH

“Know that there’s help out there, there’s hope, there’s a way, there’s people out there who can be a support and be an advocate for you.”

editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

PHOTO COURTESY OF WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

WU CREW READS AIMS TO PROMOTE LITERACY IN USD 259 SCHOOLS BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

At every level of education, students were negatively impacted during COVID-19. One of those main concerns is young children’s literacy, which is why Wu Crew Reads has partnered with Gordon Parks Elementary Schools in a pilot program to virtually connect with students and read with them for 20 minutes every Wednesday morning. Wu Crew is a group of WSU faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni engaged in community service. Previous projects they have worked on include neighborhood cleanups and organizing involvement in the Riverfest parade. “Wu Crew Reading is an effort to continue to tie community engagement to our communities most pressing needs,” Kaye Monke-Morgan, vice president for strategic engagement. “Literacy is a pressing need of our local school district, USD 259 [who] really works hard to make sure that students are on point or on target with their reading skills.” Monke-Morgan said that third grade is a pivotal point in literacy where instead of learning to read, you start reading to learn. COVID-19 had a significant impact on students’ learning and Wu Crew was able to identify several schools with second grade reading deficiencies. “We thought, what better way to live the university mission, to drive educational outcomes, but

“Wu Crew Reading is an effort to continue to tie community engagement to our communities most pressing needs.” KAYE MONKE-MORGAN Vice President for Strategic Engagement

to partner in an effort to help students sharpen their reading skills,” Monke-Morgan said. “That really is kind of the goal, is to leverage the skill and the manpower that Wu Crew has in support of a need that our local school district has.” Monke-Morgan said that in order to ensure that USD 259 students have a bright future, we need to stabilize the situation that they are in currently. Literature also shows that reading to children and having them read to you is the best way to sharpen reading skills. Monke-Morgan said that this mission speaks to her as a parent, community member, and university member. “I want to be a role model for faculty, staff, and students on campus and you can’t ask people to do those things that you’re not willing to do,” Monke-Morgan said. “I know that it’s a powerful experience for a young student, I know the impact first hand of a parent watching the light bulb go off when your student becomes a reader.” Monke-Morgan said that promoting literacy is important because as a community, we are

preparing the next generation’s workforce. “It’s important as the university strives to help create and build a sustainable workforce,” MonkeMorgan said. “It’s important for talent retention in order to make sure that our community continues to grow and thrive. “It goes beyond doing the right thing, it’s the necessary thing in order for our community to continue to grow and be viable for those of us that live here.” If interested in joining, go to https://www.wichita.edu/services/ wucrew/RegisterforWuCrew. php, and register with USD 259 through their volunteer services program. Wu Crew also provides a training video to help prepare for reading with a student. Rick Case, WSU first gentleman, is also a volunteer for Wu Crew Reads. Monke-Morgan said that with him being a former teacher, he is aligned perfectly with this project. Right now, Wu Crew Reads has about 34 volunteers, and they are hoping to have 50 in order to have a one-on-one ratio with each student. “Our hope is that we get to a point after this first year that we have enough university personnel signed up that we can select other schools in Shocker Neighborhood… wouldn’t it be grand if every school in Shocker neighborhood had a set of volunteers who were reading to their students virtually once a week?” Monke-Morgan said.

editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

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MISSION The Sunflower — both in print and online — will be a timely resource of information about the Wichita State University community. It will report on news, issues, activities, academics and athletics, in addition to offering a forum for discussion, reviews and commentary. It will also be an effective learning experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.

LEGAL One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 in the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded by a combination of print and online advertisment sales and student fees allocated by the Student Government Association. The Sunflower is a member of Kansas Collegiate Media, the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association. Copyright © 2021 The Sunflower. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

Wichita State is helping more of the community get vaccinated thanks to a partnership with Sedgwick County. The University and county banded together to open three weekly walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinics, according to a university release. The clinics will be offering Pfiezer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. As usual, the shots are free of cost. WSU Tech, Steve Clark YMCA

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith news@thesunflower.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR Thy Vo design@thesunflower.com

NEWS EDITOR Julia Nightengale news@thesunflower.com

PHOTO EDITOR Khanh Nguyen photoeditor@thesunflower.com

OPINION EDITOR Jaycie Nelson opinion@thesunflower.com

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Lena Alhallaq photos@thesunflower.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Kyran Crist arts@thesunflower.com

MARKETING MANAGER Kaylee Stout marketing@thesunflower.com

SPORTS EDITOR Sean Marty sports@thesunfower.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Rachel Thomas admanager@thesunflower.com

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Emmie Boese elboese@shockers.wichita.edu

CHRISTOPHER LEONARD Associate Clinical Director

“It really goes back to the suspenders 4 hope campaign,” Liu said. “One run is not going to fix everything, but what it is trying to do it’s trying to bring awareness to what suspenders 4 hope is doing.” Campus groups have also been getting involved in fundraising for the cause. Vice President of Student Affairs Teri Hall is offering to provide free lunch for the group that raises the most money. “It’s trying to bring groups together for a single purpose,” Liu said. Liu said that considering how many people need mental health resources, the utilization of on-campus resources is significantly low. “At the end of the day, campus does have your back,” Liu said. “The utilization of CAPS [is low], by having an on campus [events] it may encourage students to engage in more conversation.” Leonard said he tries to wear his CAPS suspenders shirt at every running even he does to promote being a suicide preventation advocate. “This is just an opportunity to be present with other,” Leonard said. “A lot of people have been touched by suicide in one way or another, and this is just an opportunity for people to get together and know that they’re not alone.” Check-in for the walk/run begins 8 a.m. at the Rhatigan Student Center. Participants can either register for the 5k run or a one mile walk.

Wichita State helps open three vaccination clinics through county partnership BY LINDSAY SMITH

WE’RE HIRING.

The Sunflower, founded in 1896, is the student-run newspaper covering Wichita State University. The print edition is published Monday during the fall and spring semesters. The staff publishes daily online at www.thesunflower.com.

Mental health continues to be a growing topic as the United States enters the eighteenth month of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data provided at the Sedgwick County Commissioners meeting Wednesday, deaths by suicide in 2020 were an all time high. 105 people died by suicide with 90% of deaths being men. Wichita State Counseling and Prevention services continues their mission to bring awareness to this topic by hosting the annual suicide prevention walk/run on Saturday. Associate Clinical Director Christopher Leonard said that he is proud of the event’s mission and hopes that it will continue to advocate for harder conversations. “Know that there’s help out there, there’s hope, there’s a way, there’s people out there who can be a support and be an advocate for you,” Leonard said. “There are ways that we as community members can support each other and reach out.” The walk is also in partnership with StopSuicideICT, who has focused on promoting the event further than just the Wichita State community. “StopSuicideICT is really getting the community outreach and really saturating social media and the television, and just advertising and getting out there to really know that this event’s here and there are people who want to support each other and raise awareness,” Leonard said. “I’m really proud that all the resources will be coming back into Sedgwick County and really supporting all of Wichita State and the central Wichita community.” SGA Director of Health and Wellness David Liu has been focusing on the event’s student outreach. He said that one run can go a long way in the fight for suicide prevention.

FACULTY ADVISOR Amy DeVault amy.devault@wichita.edu

and Charles Koch Arena are the clinic locations. The clinics will be open on Wednesday and Thursdays starting today. Community members are encouraged to go to Charles Koch Arena due to the higher capacity. The list of hours are below: Steve Clark YMCA: Noon – 4 p.m. Wednesdays WSU Tech NCAT: 4 – 6 p.m. Wednesdays Charles Koch Arena: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Thursdays

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Corrections

The Sunflower is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in any of its publications, please email the editor at editor@thesunflower.com immediately.

WWW.THESUNFLOWER.COM

THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 2021 | 3

Sports

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s sports editor, Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

Yazmine Wright wins JK Gold Individual Title

PHOTO BY SEAN MARTY / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State senior Yazmine Wright races during the JK Gold Classic on Sept. 4 at the 4 Mile Creek Resort.

Yazmine Wright wins JK Gold Individual Title BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

he Wichita State Cross Country program returned to action on Saturday, with its annual home meet, the JK Gold Classic. Both the men’s and women’s programs earned second place finishes in the meet. In the women’s 5K race, the Shockers had four different athletes finish in the top-10– Yazmine Wright, Danielle Rinn, Lubna Suied, and Abeda Sullivan. Wright recorded her first ever Cross Country victory, finishing with a time of 17:34.10. Wright’s time was 39 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher in the race. “It’s my first ever cross country win in college so that’s exciting,” Wright said. “I’m pumped to race

some more.” Wright controlled a sizable lead throughout the race and ultimately finished 13 seconds shy of the course record set last January by former Shocker Winny Koskei. Wright also extended a streak of seven straight Shockers winning the individual title, joining Koskei and Rebekah Topham. “It’s terrific,” head coach Kirk Hunter said. “Anybody who can do what Winny Koskei can do is a girl to watch out for on the national scale. It’s really special what she did here and I’m really happy with the way she’s performing.” The Shockers had six different runners finish in the top-15 during the men’s 6K race, with four athletes placing in the top-10. Clayton Duchatschek had the highest finish for WSU, placing fifth with a

personal record of 18:26.63. “It was really nice,” Duchatschek said. “I got COVID during the summer and I wasn’t sure how the built back was going to be. I’m just happy these workouts are coming together for me, I’m feeling in better shape every week. It feels good to have a good start like that.” Hunter said that the men’s aggressive racing out of the start proved costly as Colorado Christian took the team title by 15 points. “I thought there was some aggressive racing off of some of them at the start of it but it didn’t paid off,” Hunter said. “They were aggressive enough where they weren’t able to hold it over the course of the race. I’m sure the guys are disappointed, they got it handed to us but I’m really glad

PHOTOS BY SEAN MARTY / THE SUNFLOWER

Above: Wichita State sophomore Lubna Suied races during the JK Gold Classic on Sept. 4 at the 4 Mile Creek Resort. Suied finished in 6th place with a time of 19:03.07. Right: Wichita State junior Jed Helker fist-bumps a teammate ahead of the JK Gold Classic on Sept. 4 at the 4 Mile Creek Resort. The Shockers secured a second place finish, while Helker finished in 12th place, with a time of 18:49.97. Far Right: Wichita State senior Bryce Merriman races during the JK Gold Classic on Sept. 4 at the 4 Mile Creek Resort. Merriman finished in eighth place with a time of 18:34.4 in the race.

Colorado Christan showed up and gave us a race like they did.” Duchatschek said that the JK Gold can be impactful, especially for athletes who most recently ran track this past spring. “I think it’s good because it’s not an 8K, which helps coming from track season where we’re running shorter distances most of the time,” Duchatschek said. “It’s just great work our way back to the longer stuff, we’ve got 8 or 10Ks the rest of the season. I just think it’s a good starting point for us.” Hunter said that this meet can be helpful for athletes to earn a spot in the team. “It’s great to have a home meet because it gives us the opportunity to run some unattached kids,” Hunter said. “Some of our girls and guys were not in uniform

today, found out we’re going to put some in uniform because they ran so well. It’s great to start off here. They know the course, they know the atmosphere.” The start of the meet was delayed by five hours due to substantial rainfall. More than 2.7 inches fell on 4-Mile Creek Resort in the 24 hours leading up to the first race, which began at just after 1 p.m. “We figured if it rained hard enough, it would just roll off the hills, and that’s what it did,” Hunter said. “This course holds water well. It’s solid. It’s good. It was a great place for everybody to race today.” The Shockers will next return to action on Sept. 18 with the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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SPORTS

Baseball releases schedule for 2021 Fall Season BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

The Wichita State baseball program will host a pair of fall baseball games against outside competition, while also hosting its annual five-game Fall World Series, the program announced in a release on Thursday. The Shockers will open the fall season on Mon., Sept. 13 against Cowley College. It will be an extended-inning game that starts

at 3 p.m. at Eck Stadium. On Sept. 27, the Shockers will host Team Canada, a team featuring the top high school players from Canada, at 4 p.m. The WSU Fall World Series will begin on Oct. 9, at Eck Stadium, with game one of the five game series. The Shockers’ roster will be divided into two teams, which will be announced at a later date. The Shockers also added a road game against Nebraska that is

scheduled for Oct. 2 at 12 p.m. The Cornhuskers went 34-14 last season and secured a trip to the NCAA Tournament. WSU went 31-23 last season, while also finishing with an 18-13 record and a third-place finish in conference play last year. The 18 conference wins and third-place finish in the AAC were the highest marks since WSU joined the conference in 2018.

2021 FALL HOME SCHEDULE MONDAY, SEPT. 13

SATURDAY, OCT. 9

Fall World Series Game 1 1 p.m.

WSU vs Cowley College 3 p.m. Eck Stadium

Eck Stadium

MONDAY, OCT. 11

MONDAY, SEPT. 27

Fall World Series Game 2 TBA

WSU vs Team Canada 4 p.m. Eck Stadium

Eck Stadium

Softball prepares for Fall Season

FILE PHOTO BY MARSHALL SUNNER / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State Head Coach Chris Lamb reacts to a call during the first set of the match against Tulsa on Nov. 15, 2019 inside Charles Koch Arena.

FILE PHOTO BY LENA ALHALLAQ / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State freshman Bailey Urban celebrates with her teammates after hitting a homerun during the game against South Florida last season at Wilkins Stadium on April 24, 2021.

Volleyball withdraws from SDSU Invite due to COVID-19 related issues

Shockers return to normal competition in the fall

BY SEAN MARTY

BY EMMIE BOESE

The Wichita State volleyball team has withdrawn from this weekend’s SDSU Invite due to “COVID-19 related issues”, according to a release on Wednesday. The Shockers (3-0) were slated to face off against California Baptist and Montana on Friday and South Dakota on Saturday. WSU’s next scheduled action is the Kansas Invitational on Sept. 10-11, hosted by Kansas in Lawerence. An athletics official confirmed to The Sunflower on Wednesday that WSU is cleared to play in that tournament next weekend. WSU will face off against Kent State on Friday at 11 a.m., before taking on in-state rival Kansas at 7 p.m. The Shockers’ action in Lawerence will then wrap up on Saturday as they face Delaware at 11 a.m. The only match that will be broadcasted for WSU over the weekend will come during its matchup against KU. The game can be seen on ESPN+. The Shockers enter this weekend with a record of 3-0, following three straight victories at the A-State Invitational to open up the season. The Shockers collected a sweep of Missouri State (25-22, 26-24, 25-16) in its season-opener. Sophomore Brylee Kelly led the way offensively, with a careerhigh 16 kills in the match. She committed just two errors and hit .500 in the match. The Shockers won its fifth straight season-opener, while also improving to 15-7 in season-openers under Chris Lamb. WSU collected their second sweep, defeating TennesseeMartin in three sets, 25-16, 25-15, 25-22 in the second match of the tournament. Brylee Kelly once again led the charge offensively, tallying 12 kills with no hitting errors. Kelly also hit .400 for the match. Then, in the finale of the tournament, the Shockers rallied from a 2-1 to defeat host Arkansas State in five sets (17-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18,

elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15

The Wichita State Softball Program will have a 2021 fall season of normalcy. Due to the circumstances of COVID -19 last season, the Shockers only had a few scrimmages. They will now play a schedule of eight games for the fall season, which will all be played at Wilkins Stadium. Having the opportunity to play against teams other than your own teammates is an advantage for the Shockers. They will have the opportunity to play against a number of NCAA Division II schools and NCAA Division I Schools Oklahoma State University and the University of Kansas. Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said that the program’s fall schedule will be helpful for incoming players, and returning players. “It gives them, especially our new kids the opportunity to get some of those jittertsr out, see what the pace of the game is like, really kind of see where we are at as a team what we need to kind of do to get ourselves you know on the right path to being able to compete at that level,” Bredbenner said. The Shockers have only done individual work in practice these past two weeks, but will be moving into full team practices soon. Bredbenner said that team practice will be a little more of an easier process this fall. “I think that just feeling a little bit more back to normal and you know maybe understanding that most of our kids are vaccinated and were not necessarily having the issues that hopefully in the past with people having to quaritunee things like that is a positive,” Bredbenner said. The softball program lost six seniors, with five of those players consistently in the starting lineup. The seniors from last year also stood out because of their leadership on the field. Bredbenner mentioned a few players that have been stepping up into that

FILE PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner talks to sophomore Sydney McKinney during the game against Tulsa last season on May 14.

leadership role. “Sydney McKinney definitely stepped up quite a bit, Neleigh Herring, Caitlin Bingham, Erin McDonald [and] Wylie Glover,”Bredbenner said. “Are returners that are all juniors and seniors doing a great job of, you know, showing the girls the ropes, communicating with them, kind of keeping them accountable and really taking over a little bit for that group that graduated last year. There is always a year that you have to pass the torch to a pretty big group and I think they’ve done a great job of transitioning into great leaders.” The Shockers also have six newcomers this season. Two of those newcomers are Zoe Jones who is a transfer from Texas Tech University and Arielle James who is a transfer from the University of Houston. The Shockers have also added two freshman pitchers to their roster, and a few others that have the potential to fill in some positions. “Alison Cooper and Kenzie Schopfer, Jordan Pipkin who redshirted last year as another great option for us in the bullpen,” Bredbenner said “You know Krystin Nelson, Caroline Tallent they’re both coming in and working really hard. They’re both getting acclimated to the ways we do things, and the pace.”

A position in the lineup that will need to be replaced is at catcher. This role was previously filled by Madison Perrigan who was named First Team AllConference in the American Athletic Conference last season. Bredbenner said sophomores Jessica Garcia and Laniee Brown have both been competing for Perrigan’s former role. Due to the fall season being an opportunity for the players in the program to grow individually and as a team, there is definitely competition and opportunity for other players to fill in a role in the starting lineup. However, with the 20222 regular spring season being several months away, Bredbenner said nothing is being decided yet. “We try to create as much competition as possible and I think more than anything what were noticing early in the season is a definite desire to play,” Bredbenner said.”Maybe a little more nerves because there is some more competition and so we’ve kind of got to slow them down a little bit and make them realize the season is a long time away from now and that they just need to kind of relax, take it all in, do their best and continue to keep improving every day.” The Shockers will begin their fall season at Wilkins Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 19 against Pittsburg State University.

sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

KANSAS INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE GAME 1

FRIDAY, SEPT. 10 WSU vs Kent State 11 a.m. Charles Koch Arena

GAME 2

WSU vs Kansas 7 p.m. Charles Koch Arena

GAME 3

SATURDAY, SEPT. 11 WSU vs South Dakota 7 p.m. Charles Koch Arena 15-8). The fifth set was tied at 8-8 but WSU finished the match on a 7-0 run to stay unbeaten after one weekend of play. Natalie Foster was pivotal down the stretch tallying a solo block and two kills, including the game-winner. Lily Liekweg tallied a teamhigh 17 digs, while sophomore setter Kayce Litzau made her season debut in the second set and finished with 40 assists and 13 digs. Lauren Phillips played in three of the five sets and tallied eight assists and six digs. The Shockers also had three different players – Lily Liekweg, Kailin Newsome, and Brylee Kelly– be selected to the A-State Invitational All-Tournament Teams. Liekweg was awarded the MVP for the tournament, after tallying 57 digs throughout the three games. Newsome and Kelly led the way for the Shockers offensively throughout the weekend, combing for 74 kills. The Shockers are slated to host its first home games during the Shocker Volleyball Classic, from Sept. 17-18. They will take on South Dakota on Friday before playing Wyoming and Creighton on Saturday.

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 2021 | 5

Arts & Entertainment

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s A&E editor, Kyran Crist arts@thesunflower.com

TIE-DYE TUESDAY Students come together for colorful fun outside the Rhatigan Student Center

BY KYRAN CRIST

arts@thesunflower.com

Tuesday Sept. 7th, students could go to the north side of the Rhagatan Student Center and make their own free WSU tie-dye shirt beginning at 11:00 a.m., students were encouraged to bring whatever they would like to tie-dye as well to the event. Materials were provided free with student ID’s, a white shirt, dye, a bag, and instructions on how

to make and then take care of after for best outcome. The event was put on by the Student Activities Council. Transfer student Nadia Pfannl says that she enjoyed the event and was happy to get some college merchandise that she really liked. “I think it’s really fun.” Pfannl said, “I’ve wanted some merch from the college for a while but I never found anything I really liked, but I love tie-dye so this was a good alternative.”

PHOTOS BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

The event was held on Sept 7 in front of the RSC.

SAC hosted Tie-Dye Tuesday on Sept 7. The event was held in front of the RSC.

Above: Health Management Junior hands a shirt to a student during Tie-Dye Tuesday. The event was held on Sept 7 in front of the RSC. Graphic design sophomore Morgan Zimmerman dyes a shirt at SAC’s Tie-Dye Tuesday. The event was held on Sept 7 in front of the RSC.

Right: SAC hosted Tie-Dye Tuesday on Sept 7. The event was held in front of the RSC.

6 | THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The best places to Zoom on campus BY PIPER PINNETTI piscesbxnny@gmail.com

A handful of years ago, looking for spots around campus to find a great Zoom call spot for your class in twenty minutes would sound strange. However, this school year WSU has courses available in-person, remote, or classes that split with both. For a majority of students living with roommates, a zoom call is not as easy as opening your laptop and participating in the remote class. Sometimes, you need to close every door available to close, and shove your Airpods as far into your ears as possible to hear the teacher. Or maybe you are trying to listen to the lecture on the lowest volume while your roommate is sleeping in their bed a few feet away from your desk. WSU has many hidden nooks within its campus perfect for attending a class call. First, Shocker Hall has a study room in every building on almost every floor. The space has a closed door, large windows to give off some great Zoom camera lighting that makes you look less tired, and muffles a lot of noise from the hallways. A benefit for Shocker Hall residents is the rooms are not only a few minutes away, but will have

great connection that will prevent disconnections, and choppy lagging while you are taking notes. The locations also have enough room and chairs for you and other classmates to join together and can study as a group once the call has ended. WSU’s library is a great spot to do any sort of hardcore study sessions or zoom calls. The second floor has multiple chairs and tables to spread out your supplies. The area of course is to remain quieter than Shocker Hall’s dorm hallways, but you can scribble your notes down without feeling like the entire library can hear it. On the third floor, people are asked to be as quiet as possible on the “quiet floor” which means that if you forgot your headphones in your car, go somewhere else. Here, there are only a handful of students and with the gigantic rows of bookshelves, you may go without seeing another person on this floor. At the back of the floor, there are plenty of private desks with a light, a large space for the laptop, notebook, and pencils. The divider between each desk gives a sense of privacy and blocks the possibility of someone next to or near you becoming a distraction. The third floor also is home to study rooms that can be rented

FILE PHOTO / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State University’s Ablah Library.

out to students when scheduled fast enough. The spot is great for taking tests, intense study sessions, study groups, or an important zoom call. If there is one thing college students are learning together, it is that things do not go as planned. When a last minute, bad-timing event occurs, a good last hope can be the Rhatigan Student Center. Although the main area gets crowded fast by hungry students, it is also a great backup option when other options aren’t available. The busiest times at this spot are noon

and dinner. The RSC has comfortable chairs to help anyone relax while hearing about a test coming up or those gigantic words-to-know for anatomy classes. Another perk? Before the class begins, and as long as you’re allowed to have your camera off, the RSC has multiple food and beverage options. Starbucks can provide an awesome coffee to start your morning and wake up the most exhausted student ten minutes prior to the zoom call. A fresh snack from any

‘Free Guy’ is worth a trip to the movie theatres BY KYRAN CRIST art@thesunflower.com

Between the pandemic and theaters only recently being open, going to and sitting down at a theater isn’t as common. Streaming services have added features where you can see movies right from the comfort of your home instead of going, and some movies now only stream. But Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer, is one definitely worth leaving the house to see — and I don’t say that often. Reynolds plays the main character Guy, who lives his life in a simple constant routine. He awakes, greets his goldfish, wears the same outfit, gets the same coffee, and goes to his job at the bank where he and his friend Buddy (played by Lil Rel Howery) chatter while it gets robbed. Guy is content with everything in his life except for the fact that he doesn’t have a partner, he is lonely. His life stays in this continual cycle, until one day when Millie (Jodie Comer) walks down the street humming his favorite song. This breaks his trance and he acquires sunglasses to be like the other “sunglasses people” who can fly and have superpowers. Moving forward we find out that Guy is actually a non-playing character, also known as an NPC, in the video game called Free City. It turns out that Millie is working against the creator of the game, Antwan (played by Taika Waititi),

in a lawsuit to prove that he stole her and her partner Keys (played by Joey Keery) programming for the game and is giving them none of the profits. The film then follows Guy as he tries to level up and get Millie’s attention, and Millie as she works to prove Antwan is lying. Guy and Millie are both unaware until halfway through the movie that Guy is an NPC who is now selfaware thanks to Millie and Keys programming. The film reminded me of the 2014 film The Lego Movie, with Guy being a lot like Emmet where he is content on doing exactly what is expected and what he has been doing. They have a routine and the same coffee and they go to their job as they say hi to the same people along the way. But their worlds are changed when a rebel-looking woman walks into their life and throws their whole routine down the drain. It was a cute feel-good film, where they fight against the injustice being inflicted and the rebel falls in love with the routine freak. I personally really loved the humor throughout this movie, Ryan Reynolds never disappoints with his acting and the quick and easy humor that he has. The references they made throughout the movie as well to other films ad real-world problems really made it for a nerd like me. The clip where he pulls out a Captain America shield to defend himself against Dude, and the

of the offered restaurants can boost energy as well. All of these few locations are awesome for zoom calls, studying, and focussing. In the Zoom call days, it is important to have a backup spot to retrieve in case the original plan falls through. Take the time to plan where you will go for your zoom call, do not be the student answering from their phone while they are in their car, although that is also a better-than-nothing option.

THINGS TO DO ON CAMPUS THIS WEEK THURSDAY, SEPT. 9 Resume Clinic 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Rhatigan Student Center, Rm. 203

FRIDAY, SEPT. 10

Shockers After Dark 8-10 p.m. Rhatigan Student Center, First Floor

SATURDAY, SEPT. 11

Suspenders4Hope Run and Walk 8-11:30 a.m. Rhatigan Student Center

Bollywood Night 8-11:55 p.m. Rhatigan Student Center, Beggs Ballroom

SUNDAY, SEPT. 12

JC Penny Suit-Up Event 3-6 p.m. JCPenny, Towne East Mall

MONDAY, SEPT. 13 Monday Market 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Braeburn Square

TUESDAY SEPT. 14

WSU Symphony Ochestra 7:30-9:30 p.m. Duerksen Fine Arts Center, Miller Concert Hall

COURTESY PHOTO

screen pans to Chris Evans watching, was hilarious. And then just to pull out a lightsaber and throw Antwan in shock was just great. The movie never felt like it was running too long, it kept you engaged the entire time, there was humor, sweet subtle romance, and

a good story. I would give the movie a 9.0/10, solely because I thought they got rid of Buddy for a minute, and would definitely recommend.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15 Latine Heritage Month Celebration 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Rhatigan Student Center East Courtyard

THURSDAY, SEPT. 16 Unaplogetically Wu 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Rhatigan Student Center, Rm. 264

Cracking the Career Code 12-1 p.m. Shocker Hall

Kanye West’s Donda gets an 8.3 out of 10 pizzas BY MITCHELL ADAMSON meadamson@shockers.wichita.edu

Donda is the tenth studio album released by the renowned artist Kanye West. West has had controversy regarding the release and finally on August 29th the full album was released. The album has had mixed reviews, containing over 27 songs and almost 2 hours worth of music. As Dave Portnoy of Barstool

would rate pizza’s out of 10, I will also use the same grading scale to evaluate Kanye’s album. I love Kanye’s voice, it is unique and offers a different sound than many other hip-hop artists. The beats are all different, the features all different sounds, there is such a rich diversity on this record. I would give this album an 8.3. It’s not top tier 9-9.9, but it’s definitely above a 7.5. It could be greatly reduced in time, because

the album is nearly 2 hours long. There are artists like Travis Scott, Chris Brown, and Pop Smoke who should have had a bigger impact. There are artists like Baby Keem, Lil yachty, and some other small name artists I would have left off. He should have put Ty Dolla $ign and 6ix9ine on the album. This should have been a more collaborative album than just having Kanye’s name on it. I really think this album ranks so highly for me

because of the producer/director vibe Kanye has in relation to all the artists that he featured, along with his individual ballads. I would like to hear another album that features Kanye rapping without the choir and gospel feel. I’d like to see another “College Dropout.”

Interfest 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Neff Hall Courtyard

Pee For Pizza 12-4 p.m. Steve Clark YMCA & Student Wellness Center

FRIDAY, SEPT. 17 Design Your Life 2-3 p.m. Shocker Hall

SATURDAY, SEPT. 18 Paint Night Session 1: 5:30-7 p.m. Session 2: 7:30-9 p.m.

Rhatigan Student Center, Rm. 142

WWW.THESUNFLOWER.COM

THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 2021 | 7

Opinion

HAVE AN OPINION?

contact The Sunflower’s opinion editor, Jaycie Nelson opinion@thesunflower.com

The importance of physical health to mental health Mitchell Adamson Columnist

meadamson@shockers. wichita.wdu

I know that with classes that seem to stretch the entire day, laborious work hours at a job that leave you out late, and countless meetings that seem to stretch in between, it can be difficult to find a time to workout. It’s hard to personally wake up at 5, then go to school and study until 5, then go to work till 10, it seems like there is just never enough time to get a workout done. How are you supposed to balance all of this and on top of that maintain a healthy physique? College students lead busy lives and fast food is convenient. In a survey done at NYU, they saw that a majority of the student body ate out as many as 3 times a week. This cannot have the most positive health benefits. After a long mentally gruelling day, how am I supposed to go in and workout for an hour? Sometimes I don’t even want to leave my room. You can see the problem here. I sit in classes for most of my day, eat fast food, then repeat that again and again. At the end of my freshman year, I started to realize my body positivity did not seem to exist anymore. Studies have also shown that

people who are obese have more mental health problems than people who are not. Whether that takes the form of anxiety, depression, or just mood swings. What you feed your body really does affect how you feel. How are you supposed to operate at 100% if what you’re feeding your body isn’t allowing you to? Many college students would be surprised by the benefits of not only working out but also eating a healthy diet. It is widely perceived that eating “healthy” is expensive, however, this isn’t completely true. I think it’s an excuse. When I started doing P90X, a workout video series, I would buy a big package of canned tuna, brown rice, spinach, and fruit that would be under $50 dollars. This would last me nearly a week, compared to the $12-$15 it would cost me to eat out per meal when I ate fast food. It was also important that I took in a lot more water. The wonders of eating healthy improved my mental state too. It would seem like I’d wake up with more energy every day, have more stamina during my workouts, and be able to lift more in my weight lifting sessions. I also seemed to have a more positive outlook on life. Physical activity does not have to mean going to the gym and running or lifting weights for hours and hours with no end. I

personally love to do this, but that’s because I’ve found it works for me. But overall it really doesn’t matter what you choose to do, it matters more that you put forth the effort.

Do your best to eat healthy, do your best to get some physical activity in, and the benefits really will outweigh the costs. You could go shoot some hoops, go to the batting cages, or jump in the pool for a swim. You could do my personal favorite and do yoga; which isn’t usually popular among men, but to be honest it’s badass. Any type of activity counts, even if it’s for a short period of time. Try waking up early, try doing the workouts late at night, maybe do a little at the beginning and a little at the end of your day. The most important part to remember is that it’s what you put into it. Do your best to eat healthy, do your best to get some physical activity in, and the benefits really will outweigh the costs. Physical health helps our mental health not by fixing everything, but by helping to shape a new view of the basic things in life. Trying to see things in life with a glass half full view has changed my workouts, eating patterns, and mental health.

Being a transfer student feels like being a freshman without the fun Kyran Crist A&E Editor arts@thesunflower.com

Coming to WSU as a transfer student has been challenging in ways that I never thought I would be challenged in. I’ve been doing this college thing for a while now, I can navigate my classes, write a passing paper, function in a college-like setting, and set up my payment plan. In the words of Mr. Worldwide, aka Pitbull, “been there, done that.” But what turned out to be hard is already feeling burnt-out, while still being treated and expected to act like a freshman. The small problems of wanting to go to all of the events and at the same time not really wanting to. All of my friends feel the same way so I never tend to find the motivation to go to events or activities. I go to class, then I go home. My real issue is not having the correct resources from the university. I have fought tooth and nail to get myself situated at WSU since January because there was no readily available information or clearly navigated instructions. When I transferred here, immediately WSU threw me in with the freshman and students who weren’t even graduating at

the same time. I sat through the same newcomer intro with all of the fancy fluff that is supposed to get students pumped to come to college. Frankly, I don’t need to be pumped, I’m just here to get my degree and bounce.

I think it would help if they had a better program for when the transfer students arrive. I had to go through a freshman orientation where I learned all of the things I knew and nothing about what I didn’t. I had to find all of the transfer student details on my own time and ask for help from several places. WSU prides itself in being the top college in the state to bring in transfer students, yet they don’t have a lot to help them be included and merge over. I think it would help if they had a better program for when the transfer students arrive, and maybe something more realistic. Something as simple as “Here is what we hope you know already and here is how we are different and what you need to know about WSU,” because the next time I have to sit through a PowerPoint telling me how to navigate college life, I’m going to lose it.

FILE PHOTO BY JOSEPH BARRINGHAUS / THE SUNFLOWER

The American Athletic Conference banner is dropped during the State of The American pep rally.

MEET THE STAFF Sean Marty, Sports Editor

Major: Communication, Journalism Emphasis Year: Senior Favorite Color: Blue Hobby: Watching Sports Netflix Favorite type of Music: Country Favorite Song: Cheers by ERNEST Life Motto: If you’re not first, you’re last

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 400 words. Letters may be edited for accuracy, clarity and length. Please include your name, WSU affiliation and a phone number for verification purposes. To submit letters, email opinion@thesunflower.com or submit at www.thesunflower.com. The opinions expressed in The Sunflower editorials, columns, guest columns, reviews, advertisements, letters and editorial cartoons are not necessarily those of the staff, publications board, student body or the university. The Sunflower reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. We also reserve the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

Why WSU needs to be proactive after three teams have left the AAC Sean Marty Sports Editor sports@thesunflower. com

The American Athletic Conference could be looking a lot different in a couple of years after reports surfaced and said that three schools could be leaving the conference. According to multiple reports, Houston, Central Florida, and Cincinnati will all be leaving the AAC for the Big-12 conference. This news comes just a few short weeks after Texas and Oklahoma said they would be leaving the Big-12 for the SEC. Now you might be wondering how this impacts WSU, and it could change the outlook and the AAC in the next couple of years. Just from a basketball perspective, the conference will now be losing some of the top schools each season. One of the main reasons that the Shockers originally decided to move conferences was the opportunity to face better competition, and a greater chance to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

When I interviewed WSU Athletic Conference Darron Boatright he told me that the stability from the conference had been encouraging over the last couple of years. “The last time the Big 12 went through this shakeup, basically they interviewed every institution in the American. So, that should not be something we’re surprised by if it happens but there’s a solidarity in our conference right now that is comforting. I think we have a very competitive and very balanced number of institutions in our league right now that I think when it comes to stability.” The AAC could attempt to add some schools to the conference and help keep it afloat. This move could be a move out of desperation, but it will be tough for them to replicate the three teams that are slated to leave. Houston has become one of the top men’s basketball teams in the country, Cincinnati is one of the top programs in a wide variety of sports, and UCF is one of the top football programs in the conference. But now with those departures,

it could have a great impact on how the conference is viewed from the outside. The AAC is currently viewed as one of the most competitive conferences around the country but losing these three schools could change that. The one thing that WSU must do throughout the next couple of years after this news is to be proactive. They must be sure that they aren’t left behind if the conference ends up collapsing and each team off to fend for themselves. WSU could have the opportunity to move conferences but ultimately not having football is a detriment to them moving up to conferences like the Big-12. So, some of the possible options could be for them to move to a conference on the west coast such as the Mountain West Conference. Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter which conference WSU decides to move to. They really just need to be forward-thinking in making this decision. If they don’t, they could be left in the dust, and be forced to move to a smaller conference or even move back to the Missouri Valley.

OPINION

8 | THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 2021

Street

Dealing with invisible disabilities Emmie Boese Assistant Sports Editor elboese15@gmail.com

DO YOU LIKE TO READ? WHY OR WHY NOT?

JOANNA FERGUSON Human Resource Management

“I think it’s fun to go into a different world, and like, something that’s not going on around you. That’s just more fun and light-hearted.”

EVELYN MARISCAL Marketing

“I read, and I like it because I have a really imaginitive mind so when I read I can really picture the story, and it’s like a whole little movie in my head.”

“You don’t look sick,” they said. “You look fine. You must be getting old.” I explain and sometimes they still do not understand, but that is one of the struggles of having an invisible disability. The stigma around invisible disabilities needs to change. Yes, disabilities that are visible and invisible are a great struggle and one is not over the other. However, having an invisible disability comes with it’s own tough circumstances. You may notice by how tired I am, the handicap parking spot I park in, the compression gloves I wear on my hand sometimes, or my swollen joints. However, what you can’t see is the inflammation in the lining of my joints that will continue to cause joint damage and bone erosion if not treated. You don’t see the sharp throbbing pain I feel everyday throughout my body, or the stiffness in my hands when I type and write with a pencil. You see me covering sports, and walking around campus like everyone else so you assume I’m fine. I’m not listing these factors for pity but for clarity. Pity is the last thing I want. I want to be understood. I’m sure now you are wondering what my disability is. I have an autoimmune disease called Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatoid is a form of arthritis that has no explained cause other than an overactive immune system. The way this disease works is from having an overactive immune system that attacks the lining of my joints which is called synovium. It most commonly affects my fingers, wrists, knees, shoulders, ankles, elbows, and jaw. The symptoms include extreme fatigue, swollen and stiffness of my

joints, sharp and throbbing pain throughout my body which causes disability. Some days it takes me hours to get ready in the morning, unable to do work or homework, and unable to do many physical activities that my peers participate in. I have had people stigmatize me in more ways than I can count. I have gotten dirty looks as I am getting out of a handicap parking stall, and made fun of for not being able to go to the gym and run for miles. I have lost friends because I have been too tired to go out for the night, or because I cannot stand on my feet for longer than fifteen minutes. Some do not get why I take seven different types of medication every morning since I am apparently so “young” or why I receive medication through an IV every month. They don’t understand that these treatments do not just reduce pain but slow down disease progression and save the inflammation in my body from affecting my heart or lungs. Some people say you look okay so maybe you should change up your diet more, or maybe you are just really out of shape. While maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps the condition, the disability aspect of it is not going to go away. The point I am trying to make is that people may look normal on the outside but that doesn’t mean they do not struggle. Please be kind when someone says that they are in pain but they look okay. Please try to have empathy and understand that they could be going through something extremely tough physically that you have no idea about. I would not change my disability because it has made me a stronger person. However, please understand someone you might meet in life could have an invisible disability you do not know about so remember to be kind, and do not jump to conclusions.

FILE PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

An attendee during Carolyn Glenn Brewer’s lecture about the history of women and music. It was held on Nov. 20, 2018 at the RSC.

Stop packing up while your teacher is talking Jaycie Nelson Opinion Editor opinion@thesunflower. com

The power of patience, respect, and manners is a characteristic that should be developed constantly in our life. These traits have been taught to us since we learned how to speak, and still need to be applied in our day-to-day life. One simple way these traits have been abandoned in college is when you start packing up to leave when your professor is still teaching. It’s rude, disrespectful, and doesn’t really save you a lot of time. We’re all anxious to get to our next task on our to-do list. We give out short comments, we’re tense, and sometimes it can lead to us being rude. With the advancement of technology and instant gratification, we have become increasingly selfish with our time. While it’s important to appreciate our time and other’s time, our selfishness for time has led to acts of disrespect. Have you ever been talking about something you’re really passionate about only to be interrupted with someone else’s story, or to look at them and see they’re looking at their phone? It’s frustrating, and it shows that person isn’t really listening

or listening to respond rather than to understand what we’re saying. When our professors are teaching their classes, and the clock is ticking closer to the end of period, students immediately

Sometimes we are in a rush; we lead busy lifes. But there’s no time like the present for kindness and respect. start packing up their bags, even though there’s two minutes left and the teacher is still talking. Ever tried to talk over a crowd? The noise of thirty students packing up gets loud, and the teacher has to strain to keep talking. Are those few seconds you save when class is dismissed worth being rude to a professor? Now while it’s a minor detail, it shows your character. Sometimes we are in a rush; we lead busy lifes. But there’s no time like the present for kindness and respect. How do you think a professor feels when they’re instructing and you act like you have nothing better to do than escape their classroom as quickly as possible? It’s common decency to show someone respect while they’re talking. Time is important, but so is respect.

JAMES TAYLOR Accounting

“I don’t read becuase I don’t prioritize it, but I use to love reading Hunger Games .... But I’d like to start reading again. I just think I need to stop getting into that mentality of like I have to finish the book. If I don’t like the book, I’m going to stop reading it.”

ILLUSTRATION BY THY VO/ THE SUNFLOWER

SYDNEY GADDY Business

“I read ... especially if it’s an author i can relate to. It’s a good way to pass time, and when I’m bored it’s the most stimulating to really do.”

The power reading gives us Jaycie Nelson Opinion Editor opinion@thesunflower.com

DAISY VITAL Nursing

“I don’t really read, I think the last time I read a full book was like back in high-school. I mostly read if I’m told to.”

Reading gives us the greatest superpower of all; perspective. The truth is we will never be able to experience every single thing this world has. We can’t have every occupation, or live in every city and country. We could try, but it’d only be brief experiences. How do we learn from people around the world and step into their shoes? We do this through stories. Stories can take us to the past, present, and future. They can make us a doctor, an astronaut, the Queen, and basically everything imaginable. Reading gives us the power to understand others, to feel sympathy, to be grateful for what we have, to dream of what we want, to forgive, and to show compassion toward the world and people in it.

We all grow up living through different experiences. The same scenario may occur to two different people, but they react differently because of their past experiences that shaped them. We all perceive events and scenarios differently because we all have led different lives. Stories allow us to step into someone’s life and understand them better. We understand people’s beliefs, mistakes and choices. We understand why they are the way they are. Even if you don’t agree with them, you can respect them. Books grant us access to others and also to ourselves. We’re able to shape who we are based on new knowledge and a new understanding. Because knowledge is empowering. When we read we are able to transport, transform and learn. We learn from each book and each life we encounter. George R.R. Martin said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE SUNFLOWER STAFF 1. SIX OF CROWS BY LEIGH BARDUGO 2. THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE BY V.E. SCHWAB 3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BY JANE AUSTEN 4. ATOMIC HABITS BY JAMES CLEAR 5. ESSENTIALISM BY GREG MCKEOWN 6. 12 RULES FOR LIFE BY JORDON PETERSON 7. HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE BY DEAL CARNEGIE 8. THE DIP BY SETH GODWIN

9. 1984 BY GEORGE OWELL 10. THE WAYS OF THE WOLF BY JORDON BELFORT 11. FIREHORSE BY DIANE L. WILSON 12. THE RIGHTEOUS MIND BY JONATHON HAIDIT 13. THE POWER OF A POSITIVE NO BY WILLIAM URY 14. STRANGE THE DREAMER BY LANI TAYLOR 15. NINTH HOUSE BY LEIGH BARBUGO 16. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY BY DOUGLAS ADAMS